Upon returning to the village, Tōshirō immediately sensed a different atmosphere than before. A heavy gloom hung over the villagers' faces, their moods weighed down with anxiety.
"The clouds of war loom over everyone's heads," Tōshirō murmured as he walked through the streets.
While making his way, he ran into a young Fugaku Uchiha.
Seeing Tōshirō return, Fugaku stepped forward and greeted him, "Tōshirō, you're back."
Tōshirō sighed helplessly. "With things developing like this, how could I still be in the mood for traveling?"
Fugaku looked at him with admiration. "With your strength, you'll surely be given an important role on the battlefield. I want to go too, but the adults in the clan refuse to send me."
Tōshirō flicked Fugaku's forehead. "What's there to admire? If it were up to me, I'd rather not go at all."
As they talked, Tōshirō arrived at the Konoha Police Force headquarters to meet with the Uchiha clan leader.
The Uchiha clan leader was pleased to see Tōshirō return. "You're back."
Tōshirō inquired about the reason behind the war's outbreak.
After a brief conversation, he understood the general situation: the growing economic disparity between nations had led to an imbalance in resource distribution.
This reason was almost identical to what he had learned from the original story, but why had the war erupted so early?
Unable to figure it out, Tōshirō sighed.
On the other hand, the Uchiha clan leader was equally helpless. Elder Itachi had sacrificed himself to delay the war, yet despite his efforts, war still broke out in another way.
"Rest up now that you're back. I don't think it'll be long before the village assigns you a mission."
Tōshirō returned home, had a good sleep, and recharged his energy. The next day, he was summoned to the Hokage's office to receive his mission.
When he arrived at the Hokage's office, he saw the ever-familiar sight of Hiruzen Sarutobi puffing on his pipe.
"Oh, you're back," Hiruzen greeted.
Seeing that harmless smile, Tōshirō chuckled bitterly. "If I didn't return, I imagine the village would have sent someone to find me. In these turbulent times, I won't cause any trouble for the village."
Hiruzen was pleased with his attitude and praised him. "You've grown."
"Who will I be carrying out my mission with? Orochimaru and the others?"
If possible, Tōshirō preferred to be on their team. They knew each other well, making coordination easier. Unfortunately, things didn't go as he wished—Orochimaru and the others had already been assigned to their own squads.
"Forgive me for asking, but who is their squad leader?"
Tōshirō was curious about who in Konoha could lead those three.
Hiruzen answered directly, "It's me."
For a brief moment, Tōshirō was caught off guard.
Hiruzen, with his wrinkled face, gave an apologetic smile. "Ever since I became Hokage, it's been a long time since I've fulfilled my role as a teacher."
His disciples were still too young. On the battlefield, blades knew no mercy, and accidents could happen at any time. Until they fully matured, he wouldn't feel at ease entrusting them to someone else.
"An unexpected yet reasonable answer," Tōshirō remarked.
Not being able to team up with Orochimaru and the others was disappointing. "So who will I be grouped with?"
Hiruzen smiled. "Your squad leader will be someone from your clan—Uchiha Aka. He was recommended by your clan."
Tōshirō found the arrangement acceptable. Aka was an old acquaintance and not some random person. His strength was reliable. "That works. What's my mission?"
"Head to Konoha's main gate. Aka will brief you on the details there."
Tōshirō responded indifferently with an "Oh," then asked, "So, is there anything else? If not, I'll head to the meeting point."
"Aren't you curious about the other two members?"
"Even if you tell me, I probably won't know them. I'll just meet them when the time comes."
Aside from Tsunade and her team, Tōshirō didn't pay much attention to the other people in the village.
Rather than wasting time on that, he preferred to focus on improving his own strength.
However, things didn't go exactly as Tōshirō expected. When he arrived at Konoha's main gate, aside from the familiar face of Uchiha Aka, he actually recognized one of the other two team members.
She was a girl two years older than him named Sayuri, also from the Uchiha clan. However, she didn't possess the Sharingan and specialized in medical ninjutsu.
Seeing her, Tōshirō couldn't help but think of Tsunade. He wondered what she was up to now…
With a silent sigh, he shook his head, pushing the thought aside to focus on the present. He then asked, "So, Sensei Aka, what's our mission?"
"…"
Tōshirō called him, but there was no response. He frowned and asked again, "What's wrong?"
Snapped out of his thoughts, Uchiha Aka apologized, "Sorry, I got distracted for a moment."
Distracted?
Tōshirō looked puzzled. Based on his impression, Uchiha Aka wasn't the type to lose focus.
He was curious, but since Aka didn't seem inclined to explain, he didn't press the matter.
Aka quickly regained his composure and spoke seriously, "The enemy forces ahead are launching a fierce assault to breach the borders of the Land of Fire. Our mission is to sabotage their supply lines and weaken their offensive."
"A small investment for a big return, huh…"
Tōshirō found the strategy reasonable. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Are there other teams involved in this mission besides us?"
"Of course. To ensure success, an ANBU division will also be providing necessary support."
Hearing that, Tōshirō felt somewhat relieved. After all, those who made it into ANBU were generally skilled ninjas.
Meanwhile, Uchiha Aka silently observed Tōshirō.
Thanks to a briefing from the Uchiha clan leader, Aka had learned about Tōshirō's rare dual bloodline limit. He now understood why Elder Itachi had valued Tōshirō so much—it all made sense.
Aka had been specifically assigned to lead Tōshirō's squad not just as a mission duty, but also to ensure Tōshirō's survival. To further safeguard him, the clan had even arranged for a skilled medical ninja—Sayuri—to join the team.
As for the third member… their presence was of little consequence.
"During the mission, you must follow my commands. Do not act on your own," Aka instructed firmly.
The three of them responded in unison, "Understood."
Perhaps feeling uneasy about a certain someone, Aka added, "Especially you, Tōshirō. This mission is not like the ones before."
Tōshirō: …
After receiving their mission details, the group immediately set off toward their target location.
They traveled in silence for an unknown amount of time, until the sky began to darken noticeably.
"Stop," Aka ordered in a low voice.
Everyone halted instantly, turning their attention to him and awaiting further instructions.
Satisfied with their reaction, Aka nodded. A team's overall strength depended on many factors, and obedience to commands was a crucial one.
"Rest for now and recover your energy. Beyond this point, we'll be entering enemy territory. There's a high chance of running into an ambush, and once we're inside, we won't have the luxury of resting."
(End of Chapter)
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